


Love is an Open Door

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Disney References, Disney Store AU, Fluff, M/M, Trans, Trans Character, Trans Jean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-02-05 14:34:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1821934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean Kirschtein works at the Disney Store in his local mall. On most weekdays he's granted minimal customers before three o'clock but what happens when a freckled dork comes in needing some help finding a doll.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is an Open Door

**Author's Note:**

> Another one-shot because I have almost no social life.

The store was quiet today. Pretty normal since its tuesday and most kids are currently sipping on their milk cartons in their classrooms right now. God only knows why we’re open at 10 o’clock on weekdays, it's mostly kids who are into all the Disney stuff anyway. But alas here I am sitting at the counter in this completely empty store, excluding Connie who was sweeping aimlessly in the corner, listening to the Mulan soundtrack on repeat because I will go crazy if I have to listen to listen to the Frozen soundtrack- again. Cool film but I’ve listened to the soundtrack approximately one hundred and four times since the film came out.

 

“Yo Jean I’m gonna take an early break is that cool?” Connie shouted from across the store.

 

“Does it look I care?” I mumbled in his general direction, “If Levi catches you, you can say bye to your job though.”

 

He jumps out of seemingly no where in front of the counter, scaring the shit out of me. “He never comes in before three so I think I’m safe.”

 

“Whatever man its your job security and funeral,” I reply back picking at a Little Mermaid pen sitting by the counter.

 

“Cool I’ll see you before anyone actually shows up to the shop,” he skips out the door like the damn nerd he is. Outside of the store in a salmon pink dress, bronze sunglasses, and her signature ponytail was his girlfriend, Sasha.

 

She used to work here too but she was caught sleeping in the back room one too many times for Levi’s liking. Levi is pretty strict when it comes to work ethic but he’s probably one of the best things that could have happened to me financially. I’ve been fired from two different jobs and have been rejected from about six other ones because in our lovely state there are no laws in place protecting transgender people from discrimination, oh imagine if they would have found out I was bi too. But Levi, who is like me too, wasn’t going to have any of that when my Photography Professor told him I was having difficulty finding a job.

 

This job is actually kind of fun because it gives me an actual excuse for watching Disney films. My roommate wants the tv? Nope sorry Armin I’m doing some job research right now. But Jean you’re watching Tangled. I know right.

 

While I was getting lost in my boredom an older woman, most likely in her 50’s, came walking in.

 

“Hello ma’am,” I said lazily at the woman.

 

She seemed to zone out for a moment looking at the princess costumes and turned to look at me, “Oh hello young man.” The old woman smiled back. Good to know that I’m passing today.

 

I continued to stand at the counter when my phone began to buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that it was Eren, I flicked the little icon across the screen and pulled it up to my ear.

 

“What is it Eren?”

 

“I hope you didn’t do that face again,” he retorted with a hint of laughter.

 

The older woman set a few items on the counter and smiled cheerfully towards me. Goddamn that was fast.

 

“Excuse me ma’am I’ll only be one moment it’s an emergency,” I try to say cheerfully.

 

“Take your time young man I’m in no hurry.” I smile and return back to my phone call.

 

“Okay I have a customer seriously what’s wrong?” I bark back.

 

“Oh nothing much I just wanted to tell you that me and Armin are going on a lovely date tonight so get McDonald’s or something before you come home,” his voice was thick with invective and how I would love to punch him right now.

 

“God dang it Eren-” he hung up before I could continue.

 

I composed myself again before turning back to the old lady.

 

“Apologies ma’am for that,” I smile brightly but I know deep down I look like I belong in a horror film.

 

“It’s okay young uh... man,” she sounded more nervous than before hand. I guess I’m not passing as well as I was hoping today.

 

I began ringing up her items and she insisted on idle chit chat.

 

“So is everything okay?” she asked.

 

I forgot for a moment about Eren and is annoyance, “yeah just my idiotic roommate telling me he’s taking his boyfriend out tonight.”

 

“Oh how sweet I wish my husband still took me out,” she had a look of nostalgia in her eyes as I finished ringing her up.

 

“Uh it’ll be $39.99.” She fished her wallet out of her purse and pulled out a fifty.

 

“Is this okay?” she waved the fifty in front of my face and I snatched it from her.

 

“Yeah it will be.” I gave her her change and receipt, in return she gave me another smile.

 

“Thank you for shopping at the Disney Store, where dreams come true!” it felt oddly sugary sweet coming from my mouth but it could be my stupidly high voice.

 

She waved and walked out the store with her bags of toys for what I presume were for her grandchildren but I don’t judge.

 

And as I was before, I was alone in this store full of toys and clothes reminiscent of my childhood. And as before I began to zone out again. Did that lady really see through me and saw that I was transgender? I hope not. I looked myself down to make sure I looked fine, my chest appeared flat, my body didn’t look like the hourglass figure that I was oh so blessed to have- as my mother would always say- but it was probably my high pitched voice that caught her on. I picked up the Little Mermaid pen again and started listening to the music playing in the store.

 

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

 

“But hey I’m almost there,” I muttered to myself smirking at those lyrics. No but seriously when they were making Mulan they had to have known happy it was going to make the trans community.

 

When I began flicking the pen around is when someone, I presumed my age, walked into the store. He had an American Eagle shopping bag strewn across his shoulder and looked around the store with a focused expression until he saw me and walked up to the counter. His face was quite unique, he had a faint tan that was even- unlike my farmers tan-, he had really warm chocolatey brown eyes, but the most noticeable attribute were his dozens of freckles that were all over his face but more intense over his cheeks.

 

I was probably giving him an odd expression because his face turned confused, “Uh excuse me?” his voice was deep yet soft. Oh Jean quit falling in love with every half decent boy that walks into this store.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Oh sorry there hasn’t been many customers in here today. Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked with my face beginning to heat up.

 

“Uh yes do you have the uh… uh,” he pulled out a small slip of paper from his khaki shorts pocket, “any of the Designer Princess dolls preferably the Mulan one left?” his face began to turn red in embarrassment and he was looking to the side.

 

“Wow we sold out of those a long time ago buddy,” I chuckled but he still looked embarrassed.

 

“Yeah that’s what I thought you were going to say,” he leaned on the counter but still wasn’t looking at me, “It’s that my sister dumped on me today to go get her girlfriend’s cousin a gift for her birthday.”

 

“Why don’t you just ask your sister to get the present?” I began scratching my face, I could feel some new zits coming in. Lovely while I’m with a cute boy.

 

“I can’t it was some dumb deal. If she took care of my rabbit for a week I'd buy the present," he rambled on.

 

"So you got a rabbit?" I drawled on the last word and he finally began giving eye contact.

 

"Yeah I've always been into animals since I was young," he was stretching his arm behind his back. "I don't know why I'm telling you this though you probably have to get back to your job."

 

"Nah it's okay it hasn't even reached twelve yet most of the shoppers who come here come either after their done with recess or on weekends," I uncross my arms and try to appear more open and less... me.

 

He responds with this adorable giggling, Jean quit falling in love with your customers it's probably against store policy too. "You know I can help you look for another gift if you want me to," I nonchalantly said.

 

"Really?" he perked up, "I mean if I'm not bothering you?"

 

"Like I said before we don't get many customers here around this time and I am pretty bored right now,” I informed him leaning forward on the counter myself.

 

He shot up and flashed a big smile in my direction, “Uh thank you. Thank you so much.”

 

I walk from behind the counter and stood right by him. I can tell now from this closeness that he’s a good couple of inches taller than me and that he’s got quite broad shoulders too.

 

“So her favorite is Mulan… right?” I ask shoving my hands in my pockets.

 

“Yeah it is. Really appropriate for the music that’s playing,” he was right, currently playing through the store was ‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You’.

 

“Yes. Normally we’d have Frozen playing but I thought I’d play something different for a change,” I explain, “Besides Mulan is my favorite too.”

 

“Really? Growing up for me I was an Aladdin fan,” he proclaimed, “I was even Aladdin one year for Halloween when I was younger. Have you ever dressed up like that when you were young?”

 

Well when I was young I donned a red wig with a cheap looking green and purple dress that was supposed to resemble a tail of a mermaid.

 

“Uh not really more wizards and demons when I was a kid,” I lied.

 

“Oh well we should start looking for a gift,” he hinted rubbing his hand across his nose.

 

“Yeah,” I began walking towards the area designated where all the princess dolls and toys were and he followed suit, “so do you have any idea of what she may want? Like a doll or…” I gestured to the display for him to help.

 

“Huh,” he walked over and examined all the dolls on the display and looked thoroughly through them, “I know she owns the traditional Mulan doll but Ymir would kick my butt if I didn’t get her something Mulan related.”

 

“If this was 1998 or she was into Frozen then you aren’t going to find much,” I jested sitting on a little spot that was clear on a close by display. “Are you sure she doesn’t like Frozen?”

 

“Of course she does what six year old doesn’t,” he said leaning against the small space of empty wall.

 

“Why not get her one of those dolls like she’ll be expecting a Mulan doll but get her Elsa or something and that will be a surprise,” I pointed out.

 

“I think she owns Elsa already,” I gave an exasperated look. “But I believe she doesn’t own an Anna one,” he said flashing his unnaturally bright smile.

 

“Great,” I hopped off the display and go straight to the doll display. I begin digging through but I couldn’t find Anna. I kept looking though and even sat on the ground to look through the lower part of the display.

 

“Do you need any help?” he offered standing very close to me.

 

“I think we’re sold out of her…” I stood up and laughed nervously.

 

“That stinks and I thought we had this all figured out,” he looked frustrated saying it.

 

“But,” he looked up at me, “we might have something in the back.”

 

“Really you’d look in the back for me,” he shouted happily the ‘for me’ part and I could feel a faint blush creep up on my cheeks.

 

“Yeah not a big deal,” I began to head to the back room but he stayed standing by the display, “uh you coming bro?”

 

He had a confused expression on his face. “Isn’t it that only employees are allowed in the back?”

 

I slide my hands through my already incredibly messy hair, “It’s only me and you we’re not gonna get in trouble besides I don’t like going in that back room alone anyway.”

 

He smiled and walked up to me, “Are you scared or something?” he didn’t say it in a condescending way like Eren always would but I still took it that way.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” I snapped. He backed up a few feet feet with an apologetic expression painted on his face.

 

“I didn’t mean it like that I was just asking,” he stuttered with his hands thrown up in a sorry manner.

 

“It’s fine,” I looked at the door and laughed a little. “No there is this weird broken- I don’t even know what it is,” I was using my hands to illustrate what it was somehow, “but it’s big and mounted to the ground and the stupid idiot I am always trips on it.”

 

“You're not an idiot,” he walked back over to me and patted my shoulder reaffirming and kept it there.

 

“I am a bit last time I fell I swore I almost broke my…” I began to play with one of the clasps on my binder, “my… zipper on one of my nicer hoodies.”

 

“That’s a shame,” he looked at the door, “so should we go in before someone comes and yells at us or something.”

 

“Yeah,” I took his hand off my shoulder and unlocked the door, the door decided to not be a bitch today and allowed me to easily enter. I held it open and gestured for the freckled dork to come in. We both entered the bland room that had boxes and boxes of toys, costumes, and etc.

 

“Welcome to the magical world of Disney,” I joked. And he laughed, he laughed at one of my lame puns.

 

I walked over to an area that looked like it had mostly dolls I looked through it but it mostly contained Jasmines and Aurora dolls. He creeped up from behind and began looking himself.

 

“Why’d you let me back here,” he said jokingly, “I’m going to only picture this whenever I watch a Disney film.”

 

“Do you watch them often?” I asked knowing in the back of my mind I normally watch five a week.

 

“Uh…. I think I found Anna,” he cheered pulling out the cute red haired doll covered in freckles.

 

“Hey I realized she’s got lots of cute freckles like you,” shit I said that out loud didn’t I? He looked away with a nervous laugh and a blush covered his face.

 

“Uh thank you… well let’s get out of here before a co-worker or something comes in,” I made a sour face and followed him out.

 

“Remember I said be care-” at that moment, at that very moment I made the biggest mistake I could have, especially in front of someone who’s cute. I tripped I awkwardly and embarrassedly tripped over that unidentifiable sitting object, that stupid uso. Not only did I fall down in a lame fashion no, I fell directly on my binder and I felt every claps go directly into my chest and to add insult to injury when I fell my clasps made an unnaturally loud noise when they hit the ground. I’m going to bruise, if I don’t die from this first. Maybe if I lay here he’ll forget about me.

 

“Oh my god are you okay?” I open my eyes and theres that freckled guy sitting about four inches away from my face.

 

“Yeah I think so,” he grabbed my hand and helped me sit up.

 

“I was worried for a moment there. When you fell a kind of weird noise was made like metal-y,” he began to think for a second.

 

Shit.

 

“Is your chest okay,” before I could stop him he pressed his hand against my chest and felt all the clasps going vertically down my chest. His expression looked odd for a moment and a look of ‘At last I see the light’ hit his face.

 

“Oh I’m sorry,” he dropped his hand, “I’m sorry it’s none of my business to touch you or anything like that.” He looked over at my name tag, “Jean I’m sorry.”

 

“Uh…” I couldn’t even tell what face I was making and he probably couldn’t either.

 

“Can I tell you something?” he asked looking at the doll, I just made a small noise. “It’s not my sister’s girlfriend’s cousin’s birthday coming up,” he took a deep breath, “I collect Disney Princess dolls.”

 

I sat there for a moment staring at him until it hit me. He was trying to comfort me for figuring out my little secret. He was making an honest effort to make me feel okay, me. It’s like the first time in forever since something like that has happened.

 

“Uh wow I didn’t take you for that sort of a guy,” I teased.

 

“Come on I was trying to be nice,” I defended, “I was being an ass and I told you my secret.”

 

I laughed for a second, “Thanks- uh what’s your name?”

 

“It’s Marco,” he stood up and gave a hand in helping me up as well.

 

We walked out the back room and went in front of the counter and I behind it.

 

“Well Marco is this ‘Ymir’ sister of yours even real?” I asked putting quotations around the name.

 

“She is real,” he laughed again, “actually she’s a lot like you too.”

 

His smile faltered for a second and returned to its normal brightness.

 

“Can I tell you a secret I have too?” he turned to look at me again, “I collect Disney princess dolls too.”

 

“What,” the sarcasm was thick in his voice, “You? Who would have ever guessed that. The boy who works in the Disney Store into collecting dolls. I would have never guessed.”

 

“Hey why are you talking you do too.”

 

Our conversation went on like that for a while. After another fifteen minutes my bald buddy, Connie returned.

 

“Sorry I was gone so long dude I was with Sasha and she had the day off and we-” he paused when he caught a glimpse of Marco, “Shit. Customer.”

 

“We work at Disney don’t curse in the store,” I shout at him faking an offended voice.

 

“It’s not like he’s a kid,” he strolled back to the area he had been sweeping aimlessly before and allowed us to go back to our conversation.

 

“So I should ring this up for you before some more people come in,” I said getting off the counter.

 

“Oh yeah,” he sat the Anna doll on the counter and smiled at me again.

 

I rung it up, “so out of the Designer dolls which ones do you have?”

 

“Well,” he nervously rubbed his face again, “I own Rapunzel, Snow White, Pocahontas, and Jasmine, I really digged the design of the Mulan one and have been looking for it but eBay’s not trustworthy in my opinion.”

 

“I know what you mean,” I assured. “I myself own Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Aurora, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Mulan,” I said in a smug, boastful way.

 

“Lucky,” he shouted then hit his hand over his mouth, probably realized a man his age shouldn’t get too excited over dolls.

 

“So that will be $19.50.” I held out my hand. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a deep blue wallet and then pulled out from that a credit card.

 

I swiped it, put in all the details I was supposed too and out came the receipt. I handed him it and the bagged doll.

 

He took both but sat the doll down next to his American Eagle bag I forgot he had in the first place. Marco then took the the Little Mermaid pen I had been playing with earlier and scribbled something down on the receipt. He handed it to me and waved as he began to head out.

 

“See yah Jean,” he yelled back at me.

 

All my life has been a series of doors in my face

And then suddenly I bump into you

I was thinking the same thing! 'Cause like

I've been searching my whole life to find my own place

 

When did Connie have the chance to put back on Frozen. I looked at the receipt Marco had handed to me and written on it in surprisingly legible writing was a phone number. His phone number with a little xoxo underneath. God that dork, I think I already love him.

 

“So when’s the wedding?” Connie snuck up in front of me.

 

“Can’t keep yourself away from other people’s business can’t you Connie?” I slid the receipt in my pocket.

 

“Nope,” he smiled back.

 

“Well it looks like you two have been slacking off,” came an eerily deep voice only belonging to one Levi Ackerman, “get back to work.”

 

“We will sir,” we shouted in unison and both of heading to displays to tidy up.

  
When Levi went to the back I snuck out my phone and typed in seven magic numbers left to me. If I’m not being a little presumptuous I think this one’s a keeper. 

**Author's Note:**

> I still feel I should have put more references in this. 
> 
> Don't ask me why I wrote this please don't I just want there to be more Disney related fics like a lot more.
> 
> And as I say at the end of all the fics I write too you can follow my tumblr (radioactive-rabbits.tumblr.com) if you want to chat, talk about headcanons, or help come up with some fic ideas. All suggestions are welcome.
> 
> And thank you for taking your time reading this maybe one day I'll work on my chaptered fics but I'm in a one-shot mood.


End file.
